Is the crook Berlusconi destined to lead Italy again?

[marmar]

Shouldn't he be behind bars? :shrug:



from Bloomberg:



Berlusconi Ahead in Italian Vote, Exit Polls Show (Update1)

By Steve Scherer and Flavia Krause-Jackson

April 14 (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire media magnate Silvio Berlusconi is narrowly ahead in Italy's elections, according to exit polls.

Berlusconi's People of Liberty party and its two allies garnered 42 percent of the vote for the Chamber of Deputies over the past two days compared with 40 percent for Walter Veltroni's Democratic Party and its partner, according to an exit poll conducted by Consortium and reported on SkyTG24 television.

In the Senate, where seats are divided up on the basis of regional voting, Berlusconi's bloc took 42.5 percent to 39.5 percent for Veltroni, according to the Sky poll, which was based on interviews with 40,000 voters.

Elections to choose Italy's 62nd government since World War II were called three years early after Prime Minister Romano Prodi's government collapsed in January. Berlusconi, 71, has promised to revive economic growth with tax cuts and more spending on public works.

If Berlusconi wins a majority of seats in both houses of parliament, he'll take over a $2.4 trillion economy on the cusp of recession. Gross domestic product is set to lag behind the European Union average for a 13th year, the budget deficit is widening and consumer confidence has slipped to a four-year low.

The International Monetary Fund forecast April 9 that the Italian economy, Europe's fourth biggest, would expand just 0.3 percent this year, the slowest of the more than two dozen ``advanced economies'' included in its World Economic Outlook report. Italy is the euro region's most indebted country and ranks last in labor productivity in the 30-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQWVDGmOW0Mo&refer=home

[0007]

1. The folks in Italy can't be to happy with this little two foot prick.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Shouldn't leading a post with a stereotype of Italians be relegated to less progressive sites? (nt)

[marmar]

3. I didn't think Mamma Mia was a stereotype, but since you've identified it as such....

.... I'll remove it.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Thank you - it is appreciated.